MORE than 50 businesses have signed up to a new club aimed at driving investment in the Nottingham area.

Invest in Nottingham was formed following the success of two showpiece investment events in London and Nottingham earlier this year.

Since the Invest in Nottingham days, 54 businesses have joined the new club including some of Nottingham's biggest established corporate names and small new companies in growing sectors such as green-tech and digital media.

The club intends to harness the business intelligence and creativity of the private sector, encouraging members to collectively support potential investors and act as an informal "envoy" for the city.

In the new era of public spending cuts and increasingly tough competition from European cities for inward and foreign investment, a collective effort by the private sector is needed to help advertise Nottingham's new strengths and self-confidence.

Founder members will hear about plans for the club at an inaugural meeting at Experian's Landmark House on July 20, when the speakers will include Nottingham Post editor Malcolm Pheby and Nottingham City Council chief executive Jane Todd.

This will trail an extensive programme of events for members to target potential investors including specialist investment information days, focusing on promising sectors such as digital creativity and computer gaming, green technologies and bio-tech.

Visits to major projects in Nottingham and further high-profile events in London are also planned. Meanwhile, a full branding and advertising strategy is being devised along with a new website.

Club members include banks, retailers, property developers, local authorities, the universities, estate agents, law firms and a range of professional service providers. Other organisations, such as East Midlands Trains, Hart's restaurant and hotel, Nottingham Playhouse and Confetti Media Group, are also partners.

Club membership and direction has been initially organised by Nottingham Development Enterprise.

Chairman Roger Summerton, former head of KPMG in Nottingham, said the club would partly be about showcasing the city area's business and other assets and partly about offering a network of support for members hosting visits by potential investors.

This could mean organising tours where several club members would work together to provide an additional package of culture, business information and hospitality such as hotel rooms and meals to investors.

"I think the fact that people are keen to be part of the club shows that there is a lot of enthusiasm and commitment to attract more business to this part of the world," said Mr Summerton.

"We need to use our superb collective business nous, our contacts and networks to pull potential investors into Nottingham to show them our excellent ideas, our business properties and the amazing opportunities we have."

Nicola Millward, managing director of consulting engineers Millward (formerly the Millward Partnership), said her company had joined because the club would offer excellent opportunities to showcase Nottingham's talents and assets.

"I think there are great opportunities to promote ourselves, especially as a collective group," she said.

Jane Todd, city council chief executive, added: "It is great to see how many of Nottingham's businesses are responding to the call and are prepared to put their energy and skills into promoting the cause."

For more information on the club contact Natalie Williams at nw@nde.org.uk